Shame of the Nation

In The Shame Of The Nation, Jonathan Kozol points out that after the landmark Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision, most of our urban schools are almost as segregated as they were then. Kozol calls this apartheid schooling, and points out a litany of reasons from poor funding to substandard teachers' wages to teaching to the standardized tests. After visiting inner-city schools for six years, he finds most schools disinclined to make a difference in their students' education, leaving them with little hope and ambition and scandalous graduation rates. Besides listing the type of problems that seem impossible to overcome. Kozol also shows teachers and schools that have overcome the odds. The Sshame of the Nation will open up your heart and mind.

Mirror to America

Mirror to America is a story of a life that spans almost a century. It is a story of a human being who isn't fully accepted by the larger society because of the color of his skin. Unfortunately, it is a common story. It is a story psychiatrists, especially clinical psychiatrists, would benefit from understanding if we are to truly appreciate the world of people whose skin is darker than most. Dr. Franklin's life takes us through rural and small U.S. communities and through academic centers in the South, Midwest, East Coast, and even in Hawaii. His story takes us to the Oval Office, to India, behind the Iron Curtain during the Cold War, and to Australia. He writes about the major events of the past century and what these events meant to his life, to his family, and to the majority of African Americans. He faces the harsh reality of racism at every stage of his life. It never ceases. We readers, however, are lucky to read his account, for it allows us to glimpse the injustice, the pain, the burden, and the will to overcome a life in which one is often hated, ignored, suppressed, criminalized, or humiliated for having more melanin in his or her skin. This book is thoughtful, uplifting, and necessary. It is painful to read at times. The author writes about events that took place more than seven decades ago, and yet your patient may talk about similar events that took place last week. Dr. Franklin's book is thoughtful in that it considers almost every aspect of human experience, including world events, mental processes, individual personal traits, chance, and destiny. It is uplifting because Dr. Franklin enjoyed his life despite the hardships. He often comments on the joys of a good meal, fishing, his orchids, and of course "my old gold," his wife of more than 50 years. It is a necessary read for our field of treating human suffering. Reading this story is essential even in 2006, because racism continues to thrive all over the world. Unfortunately, racism is a common story that many would rather ignore. However, ignoring the problem rarely brings about healing.

Temple of my Familiar

Part love story, part fable, part feminist manifesto, part political statement, Walker's novel follows a cast of interrelated characters, most of them black. and each representing a different ethnic strain that contributes to the black experience in America. The Temple of My Familiar is one of those novels that you read once, and immediately feel that you've found something within yourself that was hidden from you. It opens up a door that has been shut through socialization. This novel brings out the true human spirit and thought. You are able to free from all rules as taught. You read it a second time and discover something that you missed the first time. Read a third, fourth, fifth time and enjoy it as though reading it for the first time.